Electric iron



March 7, 1939. w, FRENCH 2,150,029

ELECTRIC IRON Filed April 13, 1937 In vlv TOR ALFRRED wFAE'ycH Penman 1, 1939 UNITED STATES.

PATENT voi-"rf c a Application April 13, 1937, Serial No. 136,577 In Great Britain April 14, 1936 .2 Claims. (Cl. 219-25) This invention comprises improvements connected with electric irons and has for its object to provide a switch combined with an insulating handle, so that when the iron is placed in its usual resting position the current can be automatically cut ofi. A further object is to arrange said switch so that it can be controlled to maintain the circuit to the heating element of the iron as for instance when the iron is being initially heated or to maintain the switch in a cut of! position no matter in what position the ire is placed.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electric iron according to this invention, with the switch cover removed.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the switch cover.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the switch plunger removed, whilst,

Figure 4 is an elevation of the electric iron shown in Figure 1 in a resting position, with the switch plunger depressed and. the circuit broken.

In carrying the present invention into pracg5 tice, as shown upon the accompanying drawing, the handle 5 is preferably moulded integral with the, vertical members 6, I which are adapted to be connected to the body 8 of the iron from one of the synthetic resin or like insulating materials.

39) At the rear of the handle 5 and preferably on the axis of same is formed a recess 9 in which is positioned a switch. Said switch consists of an insulatedplunger III in which is positioned a contact member II. V

35 Secured within the recess 9 in the handle are two switch contact members I3, I4 which are connected to the leads of the heating element in the iron. The contact member I4 is broken, the two sides of which are connected to the two leads I5, I6 of the flexible connection. The contact members I3, I4 are connected when the contact member II mounted on the switch plunger Ill is in contact with same as shown in Figure 1.

Positioned at the rear of the plunger I0 within 5 the recess I2 in the handle is a compression spring I I which normally retains the contact member II on the plunger III in contact with the fixed contacts I3, It in the handle 5 to complete the I circuit. 50 The plunger IIIis of a sufficient length to extend beyond the switch cover I8 of the recess 9 formed in the end of the handle and may be formed with a shoulder IS .on same which is adapted toengage the rear side of the cover I8 55 to limit its movement.

It will be seen that when the iron is turned onto its end as shown in Figure 4, the bottom of the iron is in a substantially vertical position, the plunger I0 resting on the surface. on which the iron is positioned and the weight of the iron will 5 overcome the resistance of the compression spring I! and break the circuit to the heating element by moving -=the contact II outof contact with the contact members I3 and I4. The circuit will be automatically restored on the iron'being posi- 10 tioned into its ironing position, the spring I! returning the plunger III to its normal position when the contact member II is brought into con- I tact with the contact members I3, It to complete the circuit. '15 If it is desired to retain a closed circuit to the heating element, when the iron is turned into its vertical position, such as-for instance, when the ironis being initially heated, provision is provided for this by positioning a peg 20 on the 20 plunger III which is adapted to be turned into engagement with a bayonet slot 2I formed within the cover I8 in which is provided a hole 22 in which said plunger III operates, so that the contact member II on the plungerllll is retained in contact with the contact members I3, I4 within the recess 9 in the handle 5 when the iron is turned into its substantially vertical position as shown in Figure 4.

The rear edge of the hole 22 in the cover I8 is preferably provided with a similar bayonet slot to 2|, the two bayonet slots being connected by. the slot 23 in which the peg 20 can pass, so that .when it is desired to break the circuit and retain it in its broken position, when the iron is in the ironing r position, the, plunger I0 is pushed in against the'action or the compression spring I1,

.the peg 20 passing along the slot 23 and the plunger slightly rotated to engage the bayonet slot at the rear of the cover I8 when the contact 40 member It will be held out of contact with the contact members I3, l4 and the circuit retained in its open position.

I claim:

I 1. In an electric iron a cut out comprising in combination, a spring actuated plunger disposed in the handle of the iron, a contact member mounted on said plunger, a recess formed in the rear vertical member of the handle, ,fixed contact members mounted in said recess which are normally engaged by the contact member mounted on the spring actuated plunger, a cover mounted on'said recess through which said spring actuated plunger passes, a stop mounted on said spring actuated plunger for limiting the movement oi! said plunger, a guide member mounted on said spring actuated plunger, a guide formed in said cover in which said guide member is normally positioned and a radial slot formed in out or contact with the fixed contacts positioned,

'said cover in which the guide member can be locatedto retain the movable contact member in'the recess of the handle.

' 2. In an electric iron a cut out comprising in combination, a spring actuated plunger disposed in the handle of the iron, a contact member mounted on said plunger, a recess formed in the rear vertical member of the handle, fixed contact members mounted in said recess which are normally engaged by the contact membermounted on the spring actuated plunger, a cover mounted on said recess through which said spring actu-' ated plunger passes, a stop mounted on said spring actuated plunger for limiting the movement of said plunger, a, guide member mounted on said spring actuated plunger, a guide formed in said-cover in which said guide member is normally positioned, a radial slot formed in said cover in which the guide member can be located to retain the movable contact member out of contact, with the fixed contacts and a. radial slot formed on the inner side oi the cover to retain the movable contact in contact with the fixed contacts positioned in the recess of the handle.

' ALFRED WILLIAM FRENCH} 

